Temperature-control system for internal-combustion engines and the like



Feb. 10. 1925. 1,525,507

' A. B. M ODINE TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet l JET/{91.

Feb. 10. 1925.

A. B. MODINE TEMPERATURE CONIRQL-SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 29, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZZ/672207?" WWW WWW Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR B. Mon-rumor RACINE, WISCONSIN.

TEMPERATURE-CONTROL SYSTEM FOR m'rnnnA'n-oomnus'rrou ENGINES AND. THE LIKE.

Application filed December 29, 1919. Serial No. 348,243.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR B. Momma, a citizen of the United States, residing at I Racine, in the county of Racine and State of \Visconsin', have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in a Temperature- Control System for Internal-Combustion Engines and the like, of whichthe following is a description.

Myinventionrelates to means for controlling the temperature of the circulating liquid for internal combustion motors and the like. The object of my invention is to provide a simple, reliable and eflicient device for regulating the passage of the-cooling me dium through the radiator of an internal combustion engine to correspond Wltllvallit- Fig.1 is a front elevation of a radiatorequipped with my improvement.

F 1g. 2, is a side elevation of the same with parts removed and'brolren away to more clearly show the construction.

. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig; 1 showing I a, slightly modified form of my improvement. i

Fig. 4 'is'a side elevation of the form. of my device shown in Fig. 3. a

In the form'shownin Figs. 1 and 2 1 is a radiator of the usual or "any preferred form adapted to contain a circulating liquid and having the usual plurality of transverse openings 01' cells therethrough, through which the air or' other cooling medium passes to cool said circulating liquid, said radiator preferably having the core 2 slightly set back from the face of the tanks or reservoirs 3 and 4 at the top and bottom of the radiator respectively. A flexible curtain or screen 5 is provided .at the front of the radiator wound upon a roller 6 which is in turn mounted upon the brackets 7 and 8 at the respective sides of the radiator, the curtain 5 being preferably of suflicient'width to cover the entire face of the core and slightly over-lap the side margins 9 and 10 of the shellor housing to effectively cut oil the air from that portion of the radiator which may at any time be covered by the curtain 5.

In'the preferred construction a roller- 6 is provided with a'spring 11 adapted to normally tend to rotate the roller to wind the curtain on to the roller or in other words draw the curtain or screen downward onto the roll thus exposing the entire surface of the radiator. Any suitable means may be provided to: control the position of the curtain vto correspond with the temperature of the liquid in the radiator. As shown a tubular chamber 12 is provided in the lower reservoir 4' of the radiator with a portion 14 extending upward through the horizontal wall projecting at the lower margin of the core 2 and a plunger 15 is positioned in the part 14: adapted to move longitudinally thereof so that when the chamber 12 is filled with liquid having a suitably high coeflicient of expansion the position of the plunger 15 will be controlled by the temperature of the liquid, in the chamber. Liquefied gases have an extremely high coeflicient of expansion and may beused if so desired. .The several parts are so proportloned and the amount of'liquid in the chamber is so arranged that when the: liquid is cold or nearly so the plungerY15. will stand at the lower limit of its movement and as the temperature of the liquid in the chamber increases the expansion of the liquid will force the plunger upward. If desired, a diaphragm may be interposed between the plunger-and liquid, in order to providea greater expansive effort upon the plunger.

Any suitable-means may be provided for connecting the plunger and curtain so that the movement of the plunger will produce a corresponding movement of the curtain. In the form shown a pair of sheaves 16 are provided at the upper end of the plunger and a pair of similar sheaves 17 are attached to the upper portion of the radiator as to the reservoir 3 and a cord 18 or other flexible means is attached tothe upper edge of the cmtain and passes first over one of the sheaves 17 thence under one of the sheaves 16 thence back andover one of 17 and thence around the second sheave 16; and with its opposite end rigidly attached! to the upper portion of the radiator so that the she avesj "the radiator increases the tem a comparatively slight movement of the plunger will produce a considerable movement of the curtain. A pair of springs 19 are also provided extending from a suitable cross-arm'20' or other suitable means upon the plunger to the lowerportion of the radiatorto normally hold the plunger at the lower limit of its movement slightly more than counterbalancing the spring 11 upon the roller.v When-thus constructed and ar ranged it-is obvious that when the liquid in the chamber 12 is cold the curtain 5 will substantially cover the face of the radiator preventing'the circulation of air or other liquid therethrough. :As the temperature of the liquid in the chamber 12 will corrc v spondingly increase, thus moving the plunger upward and permitting the spring 11 to wind the curtain-5 on to the roller. 6 thereby gradually uncovering the face of the radiator and permitting'the cooling fluid to circulate therethrough; thereby progressively increasing the area of the section of the radiator, covered by the curtain to correspond with the decrease or increase of the temperature of the circulating fluid in the radiator.

In the form shown in 3 and 4 theradiator and associated parts may be of the usual or any preferred construction. In this form however the curtainorscreen 21 is preferably a rigid plate pivotally attached to the radiator housing or other convenient portion of the radiator mechanism at-one margin of the core as at 22 and a, link 24 is pivotally connected as at 25 near the o posite margin of the core with the free end of the link bifurcated and pivotally connected to suitable logs or brackets 26 at an intermediate portion of the plate, the extremities of the forked ends of the link bein'g preferably slotted at 27 or otherwise connected to the lugs to permit free movement between "the lugs and the link. The motor chamber 28 in this form is positioned within the upper reservoir of the radiator with a part 29 projecting through the front face thereof and a plunger 30 is positioned in the .part

rature of- 29 and connected-to the link 24 as amt 3 1 to control the movement of the link so'that as the temperature of the liquid in the chamber increases the plunger 30 will be forced outward thereby swinging the lower end of the link outward with the upper portion of the curtain 21 and thereby decreasing the section of the radiator covered by the cur-,

tain, the operation being substantially as hereinbefore described. y c

Having. thus described my improvement it is obvious that various'immaterial modifications may be made in my device with out departing from the spirit of my invention, hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form-of construction shown. I

What I claim as new. and desire to by Letters Patent is:

In a temperature control tor for containing a circulating liquidand openings for permitting the passage of a cooling medium therethrough, in combination with a flexible movable screen for arresting the passage of said medium through the openings in'a certain section of said radiator, a. support for said screen whereby it may be 'coile spring means tending to coil said screen to increase theaarea of said sec{ tion, means partially surrounded by said liquid and controlled by the temperature thereof for operating said screen to progresr sively decrease the area. of said motion a. unit amount with any incremental increase" in the temperature in 'thev circulatingliquid, said operating means comprising a plunger, a casing surrounding said plunger,

system, a radia provided 'with aplurality of transverse 1s so and spring means.slightly overbalancing the 

